Dreaming and sunsets
by TheGirlGirl
Summary: Elena's boyfriend goes off to fight for the United States in WW2. To keep herself distracted Elena volunteers at the hospital for wounded soldiers and meets someone interesting. Delena human AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_**Virginia**_

_**September 1947**_

Elena left her parent's house happy. Her steps were skipping a bit as she walked through her small home town. She enjoyed the fresh air and the beautiful colours of the leaves as fall started getting closer. She couldn't keep herself from walking a bit faster when his house came in view. Her face broke into a smile when she saw his face in the window. When he opened the door and stepped out she ran into his arms.

Matt held her as close as he possibly could as he breathed in her scent, his nose buried in her hair. She giggled and pulled herself away from his arms and he stared into her brown doe eyes. She smiled as she leaned up and kissed him.

Elena pulled away from the kiss and stared into his face, expecting his usual happy self, but found worry and sadness in his eyes instead. Her insides turned to ice as she considered everything that could be wrong.

"Matt?" she asked, her voice not much more than a whisper. "Matt, what's wrong?"

He looked down and squeezed her tighter. "I.." he began, not finding the words to speak. "I…"

"Matt tell me what's wrong!"

"I've been called up for service, Elena." he said quietly, not really looking at her.

She backed away from him, completely terrified. Tears filled her eyes as she put her hands over her mouth and started crying. Matt reached for her and held her to him as she cried, letting a few tears of his own fall without her noticing. He stroke her hair and supported her as she leaned heavily against him, hardly able to stand on her own.

"Shh." he soothed her as he stroke her hair and back with one hand, the other around her lower back, supporting her weight. "Shh, Elena, it's gonna be alright."

She pulled away from his and stared at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Alright?!" she yelled. "You're going to war, how is anything going to be alright?!"

He stroke her cheek, smiling a little. "I'm going to come back to you"

"But what if-"

He put a finger to her lips and took a deep breath. "And if I don't, you'll be fine. You're strong Elena, if anyone can make it on their own; it's you!"

She stared into his eyes and then threw herself in his arms and held him tight.

* * *

She could hardly look as the train departed. It held two of her most beloved people, Matt and her little brother Jeremy. Jeremy had just turned 18 and that made him old enough to be called in for service. She felt broken but she hadn't cried, she had told herself she wouldn't. At least as long as Matt and Jeremy could see her. But the moment she couldn't see the train anymore she broke down.

* * *

**So… A new story. I got inspired by this pretty unknown musical about WW2 and decided to make my own story based on it. I really hope you like it, and just to tease you a bit I can tell you that I have a new chapter for The Benefits of Betrayal coming up soon!**

**Love, Louise**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

**Hi guys. I know it's been long and I'm really sorry about that but I've been really busy. I've had a lot to do in school with finals and things like that. I was also part of a musical in the orchestra as the pianist and it took SOO much time rehearsing, but it was so fun. But now I'm back, at least I'm trying. I've been writing a little bit on new chapters for all my stories and I'm gonna try to post a little more often.**

**Anyway I hope you will enjoy this chapter. ALSO; I know I wrote it was in 1947 in the last chapter. Of course I meant 1944 since the war ended in 1945. I don't really don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that. Many things to the person who pointed it out to me!**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Virginia 1944**

Matt left in the fall and Elena had never felt more alone. He had promised to write a lot and to come for Christmas. Elena had hardly gone out since he left. Her parents were getting worried and they told her to consider taking a job to have something else to think of. Elena knew her parents meant something like babysitting the children in town so their mothers could work now that their fathers had gone off to war, but Elena wanted to contribute to the war effort.

Therefore, two months after Matt's departure, Elena left her tiny hometown and moved to the nearest bigger city to work as a nurse in a hospital for wounded soldiers. She was warmly welcomed by the nurses who already worked there. They could always need a helping hand they said. She got to learn a lot by just following the oldest nurse around for almost a month before she was allowed to take care of the patients on her own.

After a few weeks Matt's first letter arrived, with Elena's mother when she came to visit. Matt didn't know Elena had moved so he had sent the letter to her old house at her parents'. In her first reply to him she told where he should send future letters and after that all his letters came directly to her at the hospital.

After six months three American war pilots were taking into the hospital. They all had smaller injuries, nothing life-threatening but they had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks.

When Elena came in after a short visit to her parents two weeks after the pilots were admitted she was told to keep an eye on one of the men's blood pressure. He had been getting better and the only thing left to worry about was an injury in his leg and his blood pressure.

"Mr…. Salvatore? Elena looked up at him and he nodded. "I see your blood pressure's still too high."

"Must be because of all the pretty nurses around" he smirked. He had dark brown, almost black, hair and bright blue eyes. For a moment she caught herself thinking he was handsome.

"Mr. Salvatore" she protested.

"Call me Damon" he said.

"Mr. Salvatore, before you can go home we have to…"

"Who says I wanna go home?" he interrupted her. "I'll stay here, so you're near. I've never met a girl like you."

"Don't tease me Mr. Salvatore. I'm sure you say this all the time, to all the pretty nurses" Elena said.

"But you must admit" he told her, smirking. "You're glad I'm here"

"Well" she responded. "You really think high things of yourself, don't you?"

"Well wouldn't you if you looked like this?"

"You are so foolish Mr. Salvatore"

"But charming too"

"I don't think you understand the word charming" Elena said, almost smiling a little.

"Then teach me, nurse Gilbert, and let me take you out tonight?" He was smirking again.

"I have a boyfriend" she told him.

"I am single" he countered. "Let's elope right now!"

Elena was getting tired of his questions and cocky manners. "Mr. Salvatore I insist this stops right now!" she told him. "I am your nurse."

"That doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun" he said, still with that annoying smirk on his face.

"Mr. Salvatore stop this" she told him, tiredly. "I don't know about you but I am loyal to me boyfriend, even after he…"

"Deserted you?" he interrupted.

"No!" Elena protested. "After he fulfilled his duty to this country. Goodbye Mr. Salvatore."

She turned around and started walking away when he called after her.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry. I crossed the line."

"Yes you did" she told him.

"Nurse Gilbert?" he said, looking at her, and this time not smirking. "What's your name?"

Elena shook her head and walked away from his bed to go outside for a while.

* * *

She sat down on a bench outside the hospital and listened to the birds singing. It was spring now and Matt still hadn't been home to see her. At least she knew he was alive, because he sent her letters regularly.

"Elena?" she heard a voice behind her. It was one of the older nurses and she held a letter in her hand. "Another letter came for you" she smiled "It's the third in two weeks, you are lucky!"

Elena smiled and opened the letter;

_Elena, darling, it's been six months. The war carries on each day. Thank you for your last letter. I love to read about home. I miss you very much! In my heart you're there, you must know I care about you still. I love you so much,_

_Your dearest Matt._


	3. Chapter 3

Elena kept herself busy at the hospital, even talking to Damon Salvatore was better than sitting on her own thinking of the war and of Matt, and what he was seeing where he was. She had gotten many letters but lately they didn't come as frequently. Damon Salvatore was constantly trying to flirt with her and started trying to guess her name. He hadn't succeeded yet though. She went to see if there was any letters for her, not really believing that there would be, but still.

There was actually a letter from Matt waiting for her:

Dearest Elena. I'm so sorry I missed your birthday, but things are changing rapidly here. This war is so much bigger than me, than us and I never realized..

…..

"Jennifer? Sarah?"

"No!" Elena laughed a little at his attempts at guessing her name.

"Oh, I know; Amanda!" he tried.

"Not even close."

"If I guess it, will you bring me something sweet?"

"Maybe, maybe not" she smiled. "I think you should exercise your leg. Come on, I'll help you up."

She helped him stand up from the bed, seeing for the first time how tall he was. Matt was taller, she remembered but Damon was still tall, a head taller than her. He stared down into her eyes with his piercing light blue ones. She looked away and grabbed his arms, focusing on helping him walk a few steps.

"How does that feel?" she asked, still avoiding his eyes.

"Much better" he replied. "It must be your care that's helping" he continued and when she quickly looked up at him he winked and smiled at her. She couldn't help but smile back. When she looked away she felt him continuing to stare at her and she turned again to tell him to stop staring but he interrupted her before she could say anything.

"You are perfect, so caring…" he said quietly, letting go of her arm. "You deserve the world"

She couldn't form any words, not at all expecting these kind words from him. He smiled a little and took a few steps without her help.

"Ah! Would you look at that!" he exclaimed after a few successful steps, smiling brightly. "I'm healed! Must be your magic care"

Elena couldn't help but giggle a little at him, he looked like a happy child.

"Elena" one of the other nurses called from behind her and Elena turned to see her coming towards her with a letter in her hand.

"Thank you Maggie" Elena smiled as she accepted the letter and turned back to help Damon back to his bed.

When he was safe back in bed he gestured to the letter.

"Is that from… him?"

"My boyfriend, Matt, yes" she replied. "He has been away almost a year now, and he hasn't had leave yet. He used to write at least twice a week, talking about the things he missed. He wanted to know about my days, my job and my family. He asked what I was thinking of, now it's just…" she didn't finish and when she looked up at Damon again she was surprised to find him looking a bit upset.

"War is something you'll never understand, Nurse Gilbert" he said quietly. "The colours of war are not the colours of life. He writes because he wants to picture the colours of home, trust me, I know."

Elena was speechless. He had started out quietly but as he grew more upset he was raising his voice and she could see the other patients looking to see what was going on.

"How naïve can you be. Soldiers are facing death and thinking of home helps them…" he trailed of, looking a bit guilty for almost yelling at her. He sighed. "Matt's a very lucky man to have you" he told her, and she knew he meant it. But she felt uncomfortable and wanted to get out of there.

"Thank you, Mr. Salvatore. I have to see other patients"

"I bet they long for your healing hands"

"Mr. Salvatore…"

"Damon, please" he told her.

She sighed but smiled a little. "Damon"

"Thank you"

She turned to leave, but turned back and smiled at him again. "I'm Elena by the way."

With that she left his bedside and walk out to get some fresh air.


End file.
